"It Wasn't Me, It Was Them!" Social Influence in Risky Behaviour by Adolescents

Andrew Clark and Youenn Loheac

No 44, Royal Economic Society Annual Conference 2003 from Royal Economic Society

Abstract: Institutional information does not seem to prevent drug experimentation. We use Add Health panel data (1994-1996) to examine risky behaviour by adolescents (the consumption of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana). We find that such behaviours are correlated with the (lagged) behaviour of three peer groups: others in the same school year; others one school year higher than the individual in the same school; and the individual's friends. Peer group effects are strongest within sexes. However girls do also follow boys, while boys are only little affected by their female peers. We also find evidence of non-linearities in peer group effects.

Keywords: social interactions; smoking; drinking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C23 D12 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2003-06-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Related works:
Journal Article: "It wasn't me, it was them!" Social influence in risky behavior by adolescents (2007)
Working Paper: "It Wasn't Me, It Was Them!" - Social Influence in Risky Behavior by Adolescents (2005)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ecj:ac2003:44

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